There are many reasons why you might not be able to perform deep tissue massage on a particular client. Knowing these is essential to maintaining the safety of your client and ensuring that you provide the best practice possible. So, who should not get a deep tissue massage?
Deep tissue massage should not be performed on clients that have fragility issues, skin conditions, or problems with blood flow such as:
- A blood clotting disorder
- Increased risk of injury, such as bone fractures
- Nerve injury
- Older age
- Any recent surgery or chemotherapy
- Wounds or skin conditions
- Hernia
Read on to find out more about when to avoid deep tissue massage, if it’s safe for pregnancy, and if there are risks that you need to be aware of.
When Should Deep Tissue Massage Be Avoided?
While deep tissue massage is generally a very safe practice, there are exceptions that mean that you won’t be able to use this technique on every patient. It’s important to understand these exceptions so that you can protect your clients and keep your practice safe. These exceptions include a wide range of conditions, so ensuring that you’re adequately trained and able to mitigate these risks is essential to conducting a safe practice.
Who Shouldn’t Have a Deep Tissue Massage?
Knowing which clients that you should avoid performing deep tissue massage on will take some of your own judgement, as this can include individuals with fragility or circulation issues. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to ask your client to consult with a doctor before continuing with the massage.
For more information on what deep tissue massage does to the body, read our guide on what happens to the body after a deep tissue massage.
Individuals that you should not perform deep tissue massage on includes those with:
- A blood clotting disorder
- Increased risk of injury, such as bone fractures
- Nerve injury
- Older age
- Any recent surgery or chemotherapy
- Wounds or skin conditions
- Hernia
Is Deep Tissue Massage Safe for Pregnancy?
While there are many reasons that a pregnant client may want a deep tissue massage while pregnant, such as stress, emotions, and physical changes, this should always be avoided unless you have the correct training and experience to do so.
While some experts advise practitioners to avoid massage altogether during pregnancy, it is generally thought to be safe during the second and third trimesters. In fact, experts recommend increasing your appointments to weekly during the last few weeks of your pregnancy, and this 2016 study found that 12 30-minute sessions of deep tissue massage decreased low back pain and increased the functional capacity of pregnant women.
Provided that the massage therapist avoids using the techniques on the legs and abdomen, deep tissue massage is fine to use during these periods of pregnancy. These areas should be avoided because massaging the abdomen can hurt the baby, and massaging the legs can dislodge blood clots that can build up from increased blood volume during pregnancy.
For more information about performing massages on pregnant clients, read our guide: ‘Can you have a massage when pregnant?’.
Are There Risks With Deep Tissue Massage?
Deep tissue massage is generally a low risk practice. Your patients may feel some level of discomfort during the massage as you target problem areas, however you should always keep an open dialogue with them, and ensure that they’re able to inform you of any pain.
It’s not unusual to have some muscle soreness or bruising for a few days following the treatment, so you should make your patients aware of this before conducting the massage. This will help to reduce any anxiety that your patient may have when they wake up the next day aching in some areas.
When you avoid high problem areas such as blood clots, deep tissue massage is perfectly safe to perform on your clients. Read our blog ‘can deep tissue massage cause blood clots’ for more information on the risks involved.
Final Thoughts
Deep tissue massage is a very safe and effective practice that you should be using for your clients. While the majority of individuals will be perfectly fine following their massage, aside from a few aching muscles, there will be clients that you should not perform this technique with.
It’s important to always learn as much as you can about your client’s medical history and general health so that you’re able to effectively weigh the risks and identify any exclusions that will prevent you from performing a deep tissue massage.
If you’re looking to receive expert training in the world of sports massage, Breeze Academy conducts beginner and advanced sports massage courses in cities across the UK. We give you the knowledge and practical experience that you need to perform sports massage in your practice. Visit our website for more information, or get in touch with a member of our team.